The background description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly nor impliedly admitted as prior art against the present disclosure.
Battery systems may be used to provide power in a wide variety of applications. Exemplary transportation applications include hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), electric vehicles (EVs), heavy duty vehicles (HDVs) and vehicles with 42-volt electrical systems. Exemplary stationary applications include backup power for telecommunications systems, uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), and distributed power generation applications.
A battery system may include a battery pack that includes one or more battery modules or subpacks that are connected in series and/or in parallel. Each of the battery modules may include one or more high-voltage battery cells that are electrically connected in parallel and/or in series and mechanically linked together to form a self-supporting assembly. Example battery cells include nickel metal hydride (NiMH) cells, lead-acid cells, lithium ion cells, and other types of battery cells.
Referring now to FIGS. 1A and 1B, the battery system may include a battery disconnect unit (BDU) 100 arranged between the battery pack and a battery charger or other components of the vehicle. The BDU 100 includes a housing 104 including a base portion 108 and a cover portion 112. The housing 104 including the base portion 108 and the cover portion 112 may be formed (e.g., molded or stamped) using plastic or another suitable electrically insulative material. The housing 104 encloses one or more components 116 arranged within the base portion 108. For example, the components 116 are mounted to the base portion 108 using one or more fasteners 120 that pass through the base portion 108 to secure respective ones of the components 116. For example only, the fasteners 120 may include bolts that pass through openings in the base portion 108 to connect to respective openings in the components 116. The cover portion 112 is secured to the base portion 108 to enclose the components 116 within the housing 104. The housing 104 is secured to the vehicle (e.g., within the battery system) via mechanical connection between the base portion 108 and a suitable structure of the vehicle.